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Six Pack: Keselowski works on awesomeness sans brother

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing, answers this week's six questions.

1. As a self-described Michigan football fan, have you enjoyed the recent struggles that have plagued the Ohio State football program?

"If I work on perfecting my awesomeness, I can be like him? ... He's right. I like that. "

--BRAD KESELOWSKI

Keselowski: I don't enjoy watching other programs struggle. I know there are people out there who say I should, but I don't. I think you look at the NCAA in general and college football in particular, and heck, they make us look like choir boys with all the scandals they've got going on over there right now. It's interesting.

2. Speaking of choir boys, how is your relationship with your brother, Brian, these days?

Keselowski: We haven't been fighting as of late, so that's good.

3. He said at Daytona earlier this year that you were not a good roommate. How would you rate him as a roommate?

Keselowski: No, we never got along. So I would probably rate him about how he'd rate me. ... I've never met two brothers that could get along that well, and we're no exception.

4. What did your recent win at Kansas Speedway mean to your race team in terms of both confidence and putting you in position to possibly contend for one of the wild-card berths in the Chase?

Keselowski: As far as the wild card is concerned, it's a great opportunity for a team like ours -- guys that are obviously not where we want to be in points, but have some performance capabilities. We haven't been able to consistently execute, but we've been able to run well. That's something I feel good about for our team.

I said earlier in the season, way before I was super competitive like I think we are now and way before I won a race, that I felt like the wild card was great for the sport and served this sport well. I still feel that way ... I think it serves the sport well from the standpoint of where guys are a bit riskier with their situations and put things out on the line.

5. So your biggest break in racing came when Dale Earnhardt Jr. noticed you running competitively in a truck at a race in Memphis in 2007, after which he called to offer you a full-time ride in the Nationwide Series. Did you know him before that phone call?

Keselowski: I knew him vaguely before that. I had done some online racing with him. He had pitted next to me at Bristol for a Nationwide race. And I'll never forget that. I was a back-marked car and he was driving just three or four races [that season], so he wasn't going to get any points. We just happened to line up next to each other and I got to talk to him some then. I qualified well and practiced well, so I kind of caught his attention a little bit there, too.

6. We asked Dale Jr. how good you could be and he said [with a wink and a smile] to tell you that if you keep working at it, someday you might be as good as him. He said to make sure to tell you that, and that you'd get a kick out of it. What do you think about that comment?

Keselowski: That sounds like something he'd say. If I work on perfecting my awesomeness, I can be like him? ... He's right. I like that.

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